Med-surg: cardiovascular & respiratory worksheet with answers

Which valve lies between the left atrium and the left ventricle?

1. AThe mitral valve
2. BThe pulmonary valve
3. CThe aortic valve
4. DThe tricuspid valve

In hospital, how is oxygen therapy treated?

1. AAs a treatment kept only for patients who are near the end of life
2. BAs a medicine that needs a prescription with a target range
3. CAs a comfort measure that needs no prescription or monitoring
4. DAs a treatment that patients adjust themselves

What does central cyanosis of the lips and tongue indicate?

1. AA high haemoglobin level only
2. BLow oxygen saturation of the arterial blood
3. CNormal findings in older adults
4. DCold hands caused by the room, with normal oxygen levels

What is the main problem in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction?

1. AA stiff ventricle that fills poorly in diastole
2. BA blocked pulmonary artery
3. CA leaking aortic valve
4. DA dilated ventricle that cannot contract strongly

Why is a raised serum lactate concerning in a patient with shock?

1. AIt suggests tissues are short of oxygen and using anaerobic metabolism
2. BIt confirms a bacterial infection is present
3. CIt shows only that the patient has eaten a large meal in the past hour
4. DIt means the kidneys are working harder than normal to clear fluid

A patient taking simvastatin drinks a large glass of grapefruit juice every morning. Why is this a concern?

1. AIt causes the cholesterol level to rise sharply
2. BIt raises statin levels and the risk of muscle damage
3. CIt turns the statin into a blood thinner
4. DIt stops the statin from being absorbed from the gut at all

A nurse receives handover on four patients. Which patient should be seen first?

1. AA patient with COPD on 1 L/min whose SpO₂ has been 89% and stable throughout the night
2. BA patient with asthma who wants a reliever inhaler before a walk
3. CA patient on day 1 after surgery who is newly restless, RR 30/min, SpO₂ 88% on 4 L/min
4. DA patient with pneumonia on IV antibiotics who now has a temperature of 38.2 °C

After positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is increased on a ventilated patient, the blood pressure falls. What is the most likely reason?

1. APEEP directly weakens the heart muscle and its contraction
2. BPEEP causes immediate blood loss from the alveolar capillaries
3. CHigher chest pressure reduces venous return to the heart
4. DPEEP lowers the blood oxygen level